Where have you been?
by Sherlock.bbcfanfiction
Summary: Reid has been missing for four days. The team is going crazy trying to find him. What happens when Reid randomly shows up in the office with no memory of where he has been. Hotch/Reid est. relationship. Rated for later chapters.
1. Where have you been?

The rain fell hard outside of The BAU's windows at ten am on Wednesday morning. Thunder occasionally snaking it's way into the sounds of the bustling office. People were going about their day, walking files to various ends of the building, making the usual phone calls, day to day work stuff. In fact, the BAU bull pen was especially cluttered today. However, this didn't even register to a young brown haired agent who strolled in slowly. His hair was a mess, matted from the rain, he didn't have any shoes and he had been missing for four days.

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><p>Derek Morgan was on the phone with Garcia asking about Reid's cell phone for the umpteenth time. He knew that she wasn't annoyed with him, but he did feel bad for continuing to call her. Because of his worries, this is why he did not see the shoeless Dr. Spencer Reid wander purposefully over to his desk in the middle of the bull pen.<p>

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><p>Emily Prentiss was refilling her coffee cup for the tenth time today. She smiled, reminding herself of Reid. She was on her cellphone also, this time with local PD about a possible sighting of Reid. She was getting information so she could meet with the witness and organize a search party in the area. This is why she didn't notice the youngest agent as he made his way to his desk and sat quietly.<p>

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><p>In fact, Agents Rossi, Jareau or Penelope Garcia were all in their offices so they did not noticed a young, wet, shoeless agent walk into the building.<p>

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><p>Actually, it was Agent Aaron Hotchner who noticed. He thought it was a dream. He thought, after these countless days of no news and exhaustion that he had finally fallen asleep at work and he was picturing in his mind what he had wanted to happen ever since he heard that his boyfriend was missing. The superior's usual gathered demeanor was chiseling away slowly with each passing day that he wasn't with Reid. He never knew that one could actually be this heartbroken.<p>

He watched as his young agent walked through the bull pen silently, unnoticed and sat down at his desk. His walking slow and meticulous but purposeful. He attempted to get up slowly, but soon realized that he was already half way to the missing agents desk.

Hotch knew something was wrong, besides the obvious physical nature of Reid. As Hotch rushed closer he slowed down. The young agent was tense, his shoulders shrugged up and hands flying around the desk to various sheets of paperwork that were littered on top.

Hotch slowed down and approached the desk carefully, worry flashing through his normal stoic expression. He didn't know what was wrong with Reid. All he knew is that he had to be near him. He had to tell him that he loved him.

"Not now, Aaron." Reid spurted, just as Hotch was about to open his mouth. "I have work to do." His voice wasn't loud but it wasn't quiet enough to go by Morgan's ears unnoticed. He glanced over at his dark skinned coworker and saw his shoulders tense up and his cell phone drop on his desk.

"Reid?" Morgan whispered and spun around so fast that it made Hotch practically dizzy. His subordinate leapt out of his chair, his expression of shock and concern.

"Reid?" Morgan said coming closer to his best friend. None of this even phased Reid as he continued filling out paperwork, his mind a million miles away. Morgan was about to put his hand on his shoulder when Hotch stopped him. He looked up at his superior with a questioning look and was met with a look of caution.

Hotch did not know what would happen if they broke Reid out of his trance. He didn't know if he was in shock or if it wasn't something worse.

He took in Reid's appearance. He noticed he was soaked from the rain and he had no shoes on. His mismatched socks showing proud. The younger agent's hair was flat against his head from the rain. He had a bruise and a gash across his left cheek but other than that he was relatively unharmed. What happened to him? What happened to the man he loves?

Prentiss had finished her phone call and was headed back to her desk to grab her jacket before she met up with the police department. She just wanted Reid back, she hoped this would be a good lead so that they could find him. She rounded the corner, and was met with a sight she did not expect. Morgan and Hotch were huddled around the missing agent's desk. Then she noticed that someone was in the seat of the desk facing away from them. It took her no time to realize who it was. She almost dropped her coffee cup out of shock but quickly gripped it tighter and ran over to her little adopted brother.

"Reid, where have you been?" Prentiss said once she was close to Reid. Her voice made the two older agents look at her. Now that she was this close she noticed Reid's behavior and knew that something was wrong. His behavior was erratic and tense.

"Hotch, what's going on?" She asked, somehow knowing that Reid wouldn't respond to her. She looked in her boss's eyes for some sort of explanation.

"We don't know, he just walked in here, sat down and went to work." Hotch stated, worry unusually evident on his face.

"What do you mean? I've been here doing paperwork." Reid stated. "And could you guys please be quiet, I really have to get this done." Reid voice tense and surprising, his eyes darted through the file in front of him and his hand rapidly filling out paperwork. It caused worry for Morgan and Hotch but Prentiss was relieved to hear his voice. She thought it was the best voice in the world.

"Reid," Hotch said hoping for a response, verbal or physical, that didn't come. He looked at Morgan and Prentiss for anything helpful but they only conveyed confused and shocked expression. "Spencer?" he tried again. Reid's shoulders only relaxed a bit, but Hotch thought it was a start. "Hey Spencer, I need to see you in my office." Hotch said gently and experimentally laying his hand on Reid's shoulder, leaning into Reid a little bit. Reid subconsciously relaxed at his boss's touch but didn't stop with his work.

"I can't, Hotch. This paperwork won't do itself." Reid said softer but still with a sense of stress laced through his words.

"I know but...you need to ah...you need one of the files at my desk to complete this file." Hotch said in the spur of the moment. Reid stopped all movement and sighed. Hotch took his hand from his shoulder and waited. Morgan and Emily went from looking at Reid to looking at their boss. Hotch's eyes never left Spencer's form.

"Okay. Okay." Spencer said as he got up slowly and turned towards Hotch's office. "But if I come back and that stack has multiplied..." He added hurrying through the bull pen. Hotch, Morgan and Prentiss trailed right behind him. Hotch caught up and guided him into the office and sat him on the couch.

"Rossi." Hotch said looking at Prentiss who stood at the door and she left at his command. Hotch heard a faint knock to the office next door and then Rossi was in the room with them.

Reid looked around the room, his eyes wild. Morgan sat next to him, putting a hand around his shoulder, more to comfort the agent rather than Reid. Hotch looked at Rossi who face was blank to control his composure but Aaron saw the hint of worry, concern and caution in his eyes. Hotch sat down on the coffee table across from his youngest subordinate. He grabbed the young agents hands and cupped them with his own.

Rossi stood there, his expression of bewilderment mirrored on Prentiss's face.

Hotch sat there taking in his features, dwelling on the bruise on his boyfriends cheek. "R-Spencer." Hotch said. Reid stopped looking around and his eyes fell on Aaron's face. His eyes wild and unfocused, a blank expression on him.

"Where is the file?" Reid said slowly.

"Spencer, do you know where you are?" Hotch asked ignoring the last question.

"Of course, we are in your office, Aaron." He responded with a quizzical look on his face. If the other team members found it weird that Reid was using first names, they didn't let on.

"Good. Where would you before you came here today?" Hotch asked gripping his lover's hands tightly. Reid must have just noticed this because he looked down to see them holding hands and stared for a really long time at the embrace.

"Spencer?" Morgan said when he didn't answer for a good five minutes. What happened next, nobody in the room expected. Reid withdrew his hands from Hotch's grasp and thrusted his shoulders up making a surprised Morgan to let go. He bolted up and walked around the coffee table. Hotch and Morgan were on their feet before he even got halfway around the other side of the coffee table.

Everyone was saying his name and their voices mushed together as Reid, determined and focused, tried to leave the room. Even if it meant pushing Hotch out of the way. Hotch instinctively wrapped his arms around Reid as the younger agent fought the embrace.

"Spencer!" Hotch said into his ear. "It's okay, it's okay." He soothed, rubbing his hands on his boyfriend's back

Reid tried to force his hands onto Aaron's chest to push him away. Unsuccessful he started to cry. Reid's tears frightened Hotch, although it meant they were getting somewhere.

"I...don't-" Reid started sobbing limply in Aaron's arms while the others stared at their boss and the person they considered family embracing their boss. The sight was shocking and would have been adorable if the circumstances were different.

"It's okay. It's okay, I'm here." Hotch said holding him tighter.

"NO." Reid said and with a massive force pushed Hotch away and backed away from the rest of his teammates, further into his boss's office, his tears shamelessly flowing down his face.

"It's not okay." He screamed. Reid's expression was dangerous, it was confusion and anger flashing alternatively on his face.

"What's wrong, Spencer?" Hotch asked regaining his composure quickly and effortlessly as he held his hands up in front of him trying to get closer to Reid again.

"I can't...I don't... I don't remember." He yelled. "I'm supposed to remember everything." He was freaked out and Hotch stepped closer without thinking and went to grab his lover again. It was fortunate because at that moment. Reid's body decided to give out and collapse to the floor. Reid's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he lost consciousness and started spirally towards the ground. Hotch caught him midway and guided his lover to the floor, holding the younger boy closer to his body. A single tear sliding down his cheek at the heart wrenching sight.

Morgan, Rossi and Prentiss continued to stare in shock. Only one question echoed in each of their minds.

"Where had Reid been?"

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><p>First story for criminal minds. I hope to expand it into a series. I really like HotchReid relationship so I'll definitely keep that up, probably no slash though sorry.


	2. It's Friday Right?

I totally fixed present and past tense mistakes I hope. Enjoy.

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><p>Hotch and Rossi were sitting in Rossi's office, while Morgan, JJ and Prentiss had gone to grab some real coffee, a vain hope that it would maybe foil Reid's trance, if he still was in a trance or whatever it was when he eventually wakes.<p>

"Are you sure, we shouldn't take him to a hospital?" Hotch asked for the millionth time, his usual stoic demeanor threatened by his love.

"I'm not sure. There is no physical damage, except the bruise." Rossi said noticing the visible wince that Hotch tried to hide. "He has only been out for ten minutes." Rossi said sighing. "If it's more than a half hour, we'll take him in."

Hotch nodded, accepting but not liking the possibilities. The rain died down, thunder had traveled away and Hotch stared towards the dripping window, hoping that nature had clues to where Reid has been.

"He seemed to be in a state of shock." Rossi said after a few minutes of silence. "Where do you think he has been?" Rossi asked hesitantly, after a couple minutes of silence.

"God, I don't know. That bruise..." Hotch started standing up, his stance agitated and frustrated. "What if someone hurt him? And I wasn't there?" Hotch said finally. "Or worse, what if it was an...episode?" Hotch said defeated, turning to look his coworker in the eyes.

"We have to take that into a possibility." Rossi replied calmly. Eyes gazing right into his Unit Chiefs.

"If someone hurt him, I swear..." He added his fist clenching reflexively.

"Yeah. I'm sure Morgan will be right there with you and then me right behind him." Rossi said keeping his voice calm and reassuring. Hotch looked out Rossi's window into the bull pen at Reid's desk. The files from earlier are still scattered across it, unfinished and lonely.

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><p>Reid's head felt foggy and hazy and it hurt. He felt the cushions on his back and a wet cloth on his unopened eyes, he listened to his surroundings, an attempt to differentiate between the fog and reality. He heard muffled voices, but couldn't hear the exact words. The voices sounded like Hotch and Rossi talking, but he wasn't sure. He wasn't even sure to where he was. His ever relenting mind wandered trying to pinpoint his body's location. He knew for sure he wasn't in his apartment because the smell was different. It smelled a little like Aaron. The thought made him smile. However, there was another smell, acting almost as a mask for his boyfriend's alluring smell. It was a smell of staleness, stiffness. Reid couldn't quite put a finger on it.<p>

With a pulsating throb in his forehead, he decided to open his eyes. The ceiling of Hotch's office stared back at him. Of course, that explains the bureaucratic stiffness of the office. He was lying on Hotch's couch. How did he get here? He didn't remember coming into work this morning. Why would he, it's Saturday. It is Saturday, isn't it? Reid thought to himself looking toward the office's windows. The BAU bull pen bustled with traffic, definitely not a Saturday. But they just flew in last night, he just left the office early because it was a Friday. Reid felt confusion enveloped his aching head.

He was pulled away from his thoughts by a small sound. A door was opened, it was a slow and hesitant movement. Reid stared as Aaron walked over to him, with the same hesitation and caution he showed with the opening door.

He looked as gorgeous as ever, his hair impeccable and his demeanor just as impenetrable. This was the office, this was his business behavior. It was vastly separate from when they were alone together but Reid knew that this was how it was going to be. He didn't mind it one bit, he loved this Hotch as must as he loved at home Hotch. Reid met his boss's eyes as Hotch sat across from him on the coffee table. The situation all too familiar for Hotch.

Reid started to sit up but Hotch placed a hand on his shoulder, a caring gesture but it only added confusion to Reid. Hotch gave him a pleading look and Reid reluctantly, but obediently laid back down. Secretly, he was grateful, his headache was only getting worse.

Reid wondered why his boyfriend hasn't spoken. Was he mad at the genius? His eyes conveyed worry and concern. Reid returned his eyes to the ceiling to ponder why his lover would be mad. Is it something he did?

Hotch looked at the youngest agent with worry that he can't mask. He watched as Reid laid back and stared into his eyes and then looked at the ceiling. Hotch stared at his face, the bruise etched into his mind. His eyesight fuzzing as he thinks about his boyfriend. Is this Reid the same one that walked into the bull pen earlier? Has Reid come back or is he still in shock or some sort of amnesiac episode? Or worse, was it a schizophrenic episode? Hotch can't let himself dwell on the latter, it hurts too much.

"Hey." A small voice entered Hotch's thoughts. At first, Hotch doesn't think it's real, but then he made his eyes focus on Reid. Bright eyes stared back at him. All the stress and worry seemed to melt away when Hotch stared back into those eyes, and immediately he knew that Reid is back, not trance Reid, his Reid. The Spencer Reid that Hotch fell in love with.

"Hey yourself." Hotch said without hesitation but not lacking concern. Reid shut his eyes as his headache ached. The lights in the office penetrated his retinas and intensified the throb in his forehead. Aaron's lips curled up slightly as he took Reid's hand in his. Reid tried to sit up, ignoring his painful headache, and this time Hotch allowed him. Hotch gave Reid the bottle of water that is sitting on the table. Hotch studied Reid's face, looking for signs of the younger agent experiencing any pain. He noticed winces here and there. They sit in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, Reid almost blinded by the pain in his head and Hotch relieved that he has him back.

"Can we turn off the lights?" Reid asked quietly. Hotch looked up at the lights not thinking they are that bright but Reid's eyes were squinted in pain. Hotch nodded and dashed to the wall flicking the light switch off. The office was surrounded in darkness, an instantaneous relief for Reid. Reid relaxed his eyelids and settled on the couch.

"Spencer?" Hotch started, sitting next to Reid on the couch this time, as close as possible to him without being too confining. He put a hand on his subordinates knee. The older man had this feeling that if he was not touching his lover, he was not there or he might vanish again. Hotch would not take that chance. God he just wanted to hold him and make sure he never leaves again.

Reid's eyes remained closed, still afraid of an traitorous light invading his eyes. He nodded in his lover's general direction. He didn't know what was going on. Maybe he passed out? He must have passed out from a headache when they got back from the last case. That means he probably hasn't even left the office yet. That can't be right. He remembered going home and cleaning out his fridge. He ordered pizza because he had no food and Hotch was with Jack for the night. They had planned on being together on Saturday. Maybe, it was part of the headache, a hallucination or dream when he passed out. That had to be it. However, the confusion that surrounded the present situation propelled his headache to throb even more ferociously than before so Reid stopped thinking and laid his head against the back of the couch, internally sighing.

"Are you okay?" Hotch said, squeezing the hand on the knee, and studied the young agent's face.

"Yeah. I think so." Reid said slowly, "It's just this pounding headache that won't go away." He added knowing that he can trust Hotch. "I'm sorry, I know you had Jack tonight. I'm sure you want to get home to him." Reid added, and opened his eyes, he moved to stand up and go back to his desk to gather his messenger bag so he could get home, pop some pills and maybe take a nice, emasculating bubble bath.

Hotch's hand moved instantly to Reid's forearm holding him in place. Reid stopped moving and looked his superior in the eyes. Reid could see the alarm, worry and caution behind them again, but there was also sadness and warmth flasheing alternatively. Reid melted into his boyfriend's gaze and relaxed against him.

"What day do you think it is?" Hotch asked calmly. Reid seemed confused at the question. He knew that it was Friday. It had to be Friday. Was Hotch just testing him to make sure he didn't hit his head in the fall. That must be it. Reid decided to play along.

"Hotch, I know I might have hit my head pretty hard from passing out from this headache, but I know that it's obviously Friday." Hotch eyes conveyed worry. Hotch realized that he doesn't remember, anything. Not the last four days, not even this morning. What happened? He didn't seem to reeling from after effects of a major episode, but then again, Hotch knew nothing of schizophrenic episodes.

Hotch sighed looking at Reid.

"Rossi!" Hotch called knowing that he is either right out side the door or in his office trying to hear every ounce of their conversation. Rossi opened the door and walked in, he took the tense form of Hotch and the relaxed form of Reid and realized that Reid is back to himself but something was off.

Rossi sat down on the coffee table in front of Reid. "Hello, Reid, good to have you back." Rossi stated warmly.

"It's good to be back Rossi." Reid acknowledged, friendly. "It is Friday, right?" He added almost a plea. Reid knew something was off, their behavior was strange even for profilers. The genius started to second guesse his dream/hallucination. Rossi shook his head. Reid tensed next to Hotch. Hotch wrapped an arm around his lover's shoulders and side hugs him tight.

"Saturday?" Reid quizzed, fully aware of the illogicality that it was Saturday. No way that they were here on a Saturday, unless they get a case, but then they were to meet at the airport.

Rossi looked down and shook his head again, and sighed. "Reid, it's Wednesday afternoon."

Reid's eyes widen in shock. "Oh." was all he managed to say. How was it Wednesday? How did he lose four days of his life? He didn't even realize that his entire body was trembling, and his breathing become shallow. It was Wednesday. What happened?

"Reid, it's okay. Spencer calm down." A soft voice next to him soothed, absentminded circles being rubbed across his back. The younger agent released a breath that he didn't know he was holding in.

"Reid," Rossi said looking the youngest agent in the eye. "What is the last thing you remember?"

"I thought it was a hallucination. I thought maybe I passed out in the bull pen because of headache or something." Reid mumbled out, his headache turned into a dull throbbing pulse now, right in the middle of his forehead, threatening to grow the more he used his brain. But he needed to know what happened? He needed to know why it was Wednesday and he didn't know where he has been. "I didn't know that it was a real memory." Hotch and Rossi waited patiently as Reid gathered his thoughts in front of them. Rossi watched the young eyes dart through his memories trying to pinpoint the exact time that they get lost into darkness. "Umm...I dreamt I was cleaning out the fridge. No I really was cleaning out the fridge, I guess. I ordered pizza and then I watch the History channel. It was about the early days of the civil war." Reid said his eyes unfocused staring at something behind Rossi. "Did you know that the soldier, during the Civil War only wore-"

"Reid, stop. What else do you remember?" Rossi asked blocking Reid's line of sight trying to get him somewhat in the present.

"Right. I think that is it, I think I remember falling asleep on the couch. After that, it's just darkness." Reid said, eyes finally focusing on Rossi's face, no expression visible but his eyes told stories of caution and concern just like Hotch had.

"You don't remember this morning?" Rossi proded, he raised an eyebrow slightly. Reid let out an exasperated sigh, trying to find the memory. "No. Why? What happened this morning?" Reid asked alarmed.

"You came into the bull pen, wet and shoeless, insisting that nobody talk to you because you had a lot of paperwork to do." Hotch said softly next to Reid. The younger agent looked over to his boss and let out a low groan. He drops his drumming head into the palms of his hands.

"It's okay. We will figure it out. " Hotch said, continuing to rub circles, soothingly.

"Yeah, I know that." Reid said, letting out a hollowed laugh. "Ironically, I just remembered that I really do have a lot of paperwork to do."

The situation isn't funny, but Hotch and Rossi can't help but let out a soft chuckle. Reid has been god knows where for four days and he's worried about little bureaucratic pieces of paper. Now it's for sure, Reid is definitely back.

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><p>AN: I really like this plot. TBC?<p>

I need reviews people, what should I do? Where should I go from here? Where do you think Reid has been? Do we want some 'mature' scenes between Reid and Hotch?

Coming up next, hospital and maybe getting back to work into a case that jogs Reid's memory.

I hope this story isn't going to slow for people. Once I'm done with school in the next couple of weeks I'll have all the time in the world to write and write and write for this story so bear with me.

Peace&Love


	3. Needle

**Okay so. I don't know who is reading this still, but I'm hoping that this would be a complete story so bare with me.**

**I went back and fixed Chapter 2's present and past tense mistakes because they were bugging me. Also, I wrote hardcore on this chapter and coming chapters.**

**So there will be many more to come. **

**Thanks for being there.**

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><p>The rain still pattered harmlessly against the windows of the FBI building. Three agents, two women, one man, entered the building with cups of coffee filling their hands.<p>

To say Morgan was anxious, was an understatement, he was so beyond anxious. He knew that his best friend was home, that he was safe but the dark skinned agent can't help but wonder to what extent of the genius was home. His mind could not stop worrying about Reid and his well being. When they left, he was unconscious, who knows what is going on. What if had an injury that no one saw, what if he had died while they were getting coffee. Morgan physically shook his head to dispel the thought. He did not allow such things in his head. Reid would be all right, he had to be.

Morgan, Prentiss and J.J. flashed their badges and moved to the elevators, a little wet and emotions on high. J.J. had finally stopped shedding tears of joy and was eager to see Reid again. Prentiss was the first in the elevator and pushed the button for the right floor. Her body was just as tense as the others. She was always really good at compartmentalizing her emotions but this was different, and it was fraying her edges. She couldn't help wonder what happened? What if it was a schizophrenic episode? What if he woke up never the same?

Morgan let out a small sigh in the elevator. He felt a hand press lightly against his forearm. He looked up to see J.J.'s eyes staring at his, their expression mirrored.

"He's safe now," J.J. whispered meekly, but not without conviction, tears threatened to overcome her face. Morgan continued to stared into her eyes, letting their mutual emotion seep through the touch and to comfort one another.

Morgan smiled weakly and patted the blonde's hand. "I know, J.J." Morgan smiled. The ding of the elevator interrupted everyone's thoughts as they gather themselves and head to see their resident genius. They were surprised to hear chuckles come from the room, and that noise alone made the three agents relax visibly and think that maybe everything was going to be okay. The three of them strolled up the steps and moved to walk into their boss's office to be reunited with the family.

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><p>Garcia sat on the couch next to Reid, she rubbed cirlces in his back, comforting him. When the tech goddess first saw him, she fussed over him and ruffled his hair, much to his dismay. She had sat next to him and insisted upon staying there for a while. Reid didn't say anything, he liked that Garcia was there to comfort him, especially through the interview.<p>

Hotch sat on the arm of the couch, close to his young boyfriend so he can read his expressions and body language. Morgan was planted on the coffee table, a popular position today. The rest of the team was scattered about the room, leaning on walls and chairs for support.

It had only been a very short hour since Reid had shown up at the BAU with no recollection of his whereabouts.

The lights have still remained off, much to Reid's delight. For this headache had seemed to manifest into more than what he had bargained for. Even coffee didn't help his headache, he was starting to wonder if he had a concussion but the way the headache was dulling and throbbing throughout the last hour. He was going to tell Hotch but something stopped him, Reid didn't know what stopped him but he chose to get it a secret for now.

Morgan was interviewing Reid, or at least trying to interview. It was mostly Morgan asked questions and Reid thought and eventually decided that he just couldn't remember anything. So there was a lot of 'I don't knows', an annoyingly amount (or so Reid thought).

After ten minutes of endless 'I don't know' and 'I can't remember', Reid became more agitated with every question. He was frustrated with himself and his body tensed up because his memory had failed him.

"Okay Reid, Just close your eyes." Morgan instructed, trying to calm the agitated genius. Reid reluctantly closed his eyes and clasped his hands onto his knees, trying to calm his senses. The young subordinate felt a hand grip his ever tightening hand. Reid relaxed immediately at the touch, his shoulders slouched comfortably and his grip loosened. He didn't need to open his eyes to recognize who the hand belonged to. He knew the soft, yet calloused hand anywhere.

It belonged to Aaron.

"Spencer, just relax." Aaron said. "Take a deep breath." Reid complied and started to breath in and out, calming his breathing.

"Okay Reid" Morgan started reassuringly. "Once more, What is the last thing you remember?"

Reid continued to take deep breaths, as Garcia proceeded to rub the young man's back. "The civil war." He started. "I mean the civil war on the History Channel." Reid sighed outwardly, resisting the urge to spew off random facts that he can recall from the program.

"Go on." Morgan encouraged.

"Okay, I, ummm, I fell asleep to it, I mean I don't remember turning it off or going to bed even." Reid added, not being able to remember anything helpful.

"Wait a minute." Hotch interrupted. Reid opened his eyes and found Hotch's face twisted up in contemplation. "The T.V. was off when I got there in the morning." Hotch added.

"So either Reid turned it off and doesn't remember.."Morgan started.

"Or someone else did." Reid finished in a matter of fact tone, feeling his headache intensify, subtly he closed his eyes and continued with the deep breaths. Reid tried to remember back to that night. He was tired, he knew it would be an early night and he knew that he would fall asleep to the T.V. He didn't remember turning the T.V. off. Then again, he didn't remember that last four days. However, what if a hypothetical intruder got in. How did they get in? He locked the door upon entering the apartment, almost routinely, like he did most nights.

"Hotch, how did you get into my apartment?" Reid asked, interrupting the conversation.

"My key." Hotch answered, a little sheepish to the silent room. Reid nodded in contemplation.

"I lock my door every time I enter." Reid stated out loud.

"And it was locked when Hotch went in the morning." Rossi added.

"Could someone have picked it?" J.J. asked.

"No, we checked, it wasn't picked." Morgan answered.

"Your keys were on the hallway table, along with your gun, cellphone, and credentials." Prentiss said speaking for the first time.

"What does that mean?" Garcia asked.

"It means that if someone took Reid, they would had to have a key." Morgan answered.

"There is no way to lock the door from the inside and be able to open the door to leave." Reid said.

"So someone did take Reid?' J.J. asked tentatively, a slight shudder racking her frame from the realization. She glanced around the room, meeting glances with worried looks of her own.

Reid heard them continue to hypothesize about the intruders. Reid winced internally from his headache and closed his eyes, trying to remember something that could answer even one of his many questions. Why didn't he remember? Someone was in his apartment, and he can't remember them. Someone took him from his home and he can't even be a good witness. Reid remembered hearing the T.V. and he remembered how it became more distant as he succumbed to sleep. He tried to remember if he could hear the T.V. turn off. Suddenly an intense pain stabbed the front of Reid's forehead causing him to gasp and stand up.

It was then, out of nowhere, a flashback hit the young genius with full force.

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><p><em>It was the lack of noise that roused Reid from his temporary sleep. He turned his head groggily toward the T.V. The room had darkened severely and no light was visible in the room whatsoever. Just as he was about to sit up and blame a power outage, he felt hands on him.<em>

_One hand covered his mouth while his wrists were restrained by iron manacles in the form of another man's hands. Fear and panic ripped through Reid's body, adrenaline pumped through his veins like a bullet. He didn't see anything, but nothing was covering his eyes. All he did was have the ability to feel everything that touched him. With new found strength Reid tried to writhe his arms around and arch his back to try to get away from the unknown intruders. _

_Hands gripped tighter at him and Reid continued to writhe and struggle, shaking his head in all directions, letting out screams that were only muffled and echoed in his head. In his panic, Reid did not hear the intruders talking. He only heard the last word._

_Needle._

_Reid's struggled harder than before, he tried to yell and scream that he didn't want it. He arched his pain to a painful extent. The grip on his wrists tightened and he felt the cool press of a needle against the crook of his arm. He screamed and was held firmly down, tears escaped his eyes, he finally went limp. The hands were removed and Reid didn't feel his limbs anymore. He didn't feel anything. With on last look, he realized he could see something. Hands, or at least one pair of hands crossed in front of him. Something was on the man's hand, it was round, like a tattoo. Before Reid had a chance to study it further, he felt blackness tug at him and he disappeared into oblivion._

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><p><strong>I know it was a shorter chapter but I wanted to break it up.<strong>

**Up next hospital and teams reaction to Reid's flash back.**

**Peace&Love_  
><em>**


	4. The White Haired Man

Wow. Over 3,000 words.

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><p>Hotch gasped uncontrollably when he saw Reid jump up. He saw the pain twisted into his boyfriend's beautiful features. Immediately, he was at his side.<p>

"Reid?" Hotch asked grabbing the young man's arm jumping. Reid's eyes remained closed and he was shaking violently. "Spencer?" Hotch tried again after a few seconds of silcence.

Suddenly a scream escaped the youngest agent's lips. The sound was uncharacteristic of their genius. Suddenly, Reid swayed violently on the spot and started to fall. Reid subconsciously gripped his lover's shirt tight, turning his knuckles white as his eyes screwed tighter. Hotch wrapped his arms around Reid shamelessly. Guiding them both to the floor.

The team watch in shock.

"What's happening?" Hotch heard someone ask. Reid laid in Hotch's arms on the floor his grip tightening and his movements struggling. He arched his back and Hotch did the best he could to get him calm.

"Reid, you are okay." Hotch whispered into his ears. "You're fine."

"No. No. What are you doing?" Reid whimpered to an invisible force. Another scream echoed the office and Hotch instinctively held him tighter, putting his nose in the young lover's hair. Reid shook violently, causing Hotch to use most of his strength to keep the younger man in his lap.

"I think he's having a flashback." The Unit Chief stated. He held onto Reid as he continued to whimper.

"Aaron. Do we need an ambulance?" Rossi asked quietly, or as quiet as he could manage between Reid's knelt down next to Hotch.

"Not yet." Hotch answered unsure that it was the right move. The room became quiet save Reid's whimpers.

Then the loudest scream yet, Reid used so much force that Hotch didn't know he possessed almost knocking himself out of his boss's arm.

"No. No, I don't want it. Please, not that. I don't want it." Hotch gathered his hold of Reid again rocking back and forth, whispering into his boyfriend's ears.

"Oh my god." J.J. exhaled. She clasped a hand to her mouth. Prentiss shifted uncomfortably and Morgan rage was getting the better of him. Garcia's eyes threatened to create their own ocean. Rossi looked at the pair on the floor, the concern evident.

Just as sudden as the flashback had started it had stopped and Reid instantly went limp in Hotch's arms. Hotch's emotions were all over. They had drugged him. That much they had inferred. What else had they done to him? Hotch nuzzled his nose into the breathing form of his boyfriend.

"Son of a bitch." Morgan yelled pacing around the room. No one moved to comfort their coworker because no one knew what to do. This all rock their worlds. They all felt some responsibility and now they all secretly are determined to fix it, Not matter what it took.

* * *

><p>Reid slowly became aware of the hushed tones of his team. He was laying on the couch again. He remembered up. The pain from his head was too strong. A soft groan left his lips involuntarily. Silence fell upon the room.<p>

"Spencer?" He heard Aaron's soft voice in his ears and felt the older man's hands encased in his own. Reid opened his eyes and saw six pairs of eyes staring back, all of them expression the same emotion.

"How long?" Reid asked, his voice raspy, filled the room.

"Only a couple of minutes." Rossi stated and Hotch gave the young genius's hand a squeeze. "We were thinking about calling for an ambulance."

"No. No," Reid said sitting up against all protests, those of his team and the aching pain in his head.

"Reid." Morgan started and was followed by everyone protest to him not wanting an ambulance.

"I remembered something." Reid said quietly in the chaos of the protests.

"What?" Hotch asked and once again the room silenced.

"I remembered the night they took me." Reid said, he brought his knees to his chest and hugged them tight.

Hotch sat beside Reid and draped an arm around him. Reid looked at the unsurprised faces of his team.

"What did you guys hear?" Reid asked, he found the floor particularly fascinating at this point.

"Don't worry, Pretty boy. You talked and screamed a bit. What did you see?" Morgan said reassuringly.

"Okay, I tried to remember the T.V. and I focused on the sound of it." Reid started, closing his eyes and breathing in and out. Hotch squeezed Reid tight. Reid, reassured continued on, "I was trying to remember the exact point that the T.V. turned off. That's when the flashback started." Reid gulped.

"I remember waking up to silence and I remember being confused." None of the team moved, everyone of them fixated on Reid's story. "It was dark and there were hands everywhere. Someone was covering my mouth. I tried to scream but they wouldn't let up and another person was holding my wrist tight. I screamed and I cried and I struggled. I tried to fight back but it was useless. I couldn't. I didn't even hear them speak, I just heard one word and I knew that it was going to end bad." Reid said grabbing his knees and hugging them even tighter, gently rocking back and forth.

"It's okay, You are safe now." Hotch whispered into his boyfriend's ear.

"What did they say?" Rossi encouraged.

"Needle." Reid sighed, his headache becoming prominent again. "I just flipped out, I knew that I could let them do that. I struggled and fought harder than ever." Reid felt a single tear slide, conspiratorially down his tear. "The next thing I know, I'm going limp and I couldn't move. I felt the hands leave. I followed one of the hands and there was something on his hand."

"A tattoo?" Prentiss asked gently. Reid nodded.

"And then I passed out." Reid finished audibly sighing.

"Reid, you did good. You remembered something." Rossi said soothingly.

"Reid. What did they look like?" Morgan asked.

"I don't know." He answered

"Where they wearing masks?" Reid shook his head.

"I didn't see anything, it was all tactile except at the end. It was darkness, I could just feel what they were doing, I couldn't see it." Hotch tensed at this statement and hugged tighter.

"Alright, it's a starting point." Hotch said in his professional tone. "J.J., Prentiss, Morgan, I want you to go back to Reid's apartment and re do everything. Check the locks the T.V., under the couch, check everything. They had to have left a trace." Hotch added and the three agents turned to leave.

"Morgan!" Reid called. "Watch each other, you never know." Reid said.

"No worries, Pretty Boy." Morgan smirked and left with the two women.

"Garcia." Hotch started. "I want you to continuing checking for people that would want to harm Reid from our cases, there is at least two of them so that may help."

"Yes Sir." Garcia nodded. She walked over to Reid and pressed her lips to his cheek. Reid blushed and smiled.

"Welcome back, Whiz Kid." She said and strolled off.

"I think we've postpone a visit to the Hospital long enough. " Rossi started and Hotch nodded and started to stand up.

"Can I, uh, change first." Reid asked, remember that his shirt had patches of mud and dirt and various wet spots from the rain.

Hotch grabbed Reid's hand and leaned in closer. "Of course you can." He said, breathing in the agents smell. A smell he missed dearly in the last four and a half days. "Rossi, will you get the car while I go with Reid to the locker room." The older agent nodded and walked swiftly out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Why would Rossi shut the door? They were just about to leave. This confused Reid until he felt the welcomed feeling of lips crush into his, soft and full. Reid was more than willing to kiss back with full force. He felt Aaron put his arms around the back of neck, pulling him into the kiss. So much emotion was relayed through their intimate touching of lips. Fear and confusion along with longing and passion and most of all love. Pure love. Reid brought his hands up to Aaron's hair and began running through his short locks. Hotch broke off the kiss so they both could breath.

"I thought I was never going to see you again." Hotch whispered, their forehead touching, the both of them entangled in each others arms, swaying slightly. Reid replied with a chaste kiss and grabbed his lover tighter and hugged him fiercely.

"I love you so much." Reid said.

"I love you more." Hotch replied automatically.

* * *

><p>Reid really wanted to go alone to the locker room alone to compile his thoughts and emotions. Aaron had insisted that there was no way they were to be separated. Reid thought this to be a little impractical but the sentiment was nice. After what the entire team has been through he can be around people so they can feel better. Not to mention it makes him feel safe too. Reid understood Hotch's reluctance to let Reid be alone. So they did what every couple did, they compromised.<p>

Hotch was waiting outside of the locker room while Reid got changed. Reid wanted to shower but he knew that they need the evidence on his body. He sighed and looked into his unpersonalized locker. He used his locker only for his go bag and an extra pair of clothes. There was no practical purpose to put pictures or anything in it. Reid looked around the locker room, with sheepish eyes, looking for any sign of medium sized locker room was empty save the young genius and his thoughts.

Reid pulled the extra clothes from his locker and laid them on the bench beside him. His mind wandered as he began undressing. The young genius didn't realize how sore his was. His legs ached, his arms ached, and his head. His head just wouldn't stop throbbing. He was convinced that he had a concussion. He was going to find out soon anyway, seeing as they were going to the hospital. Not to mention that he didn't remember where he had been. Reid muttered a audible groan as he thought about the various tests they were going to put him through in the near future. MRI's and blood tests. Great, just what he wanted to do.

At least Aaron was going be right at his side. Reid smiled at the thought.

Reid distractedly, yet gingerly pulled on his pants, against the wishes of his sore body. This was the first time that he had been alone since his wandered into the BAU a short two hours ago. Fear and confusion rippled through his body like a fire. How could he not remember? What if he never remembers? What happened? Who took him? What if they came back?

The last thought caused the young agent to freeze with panic. Of course, how did he get away anyway? Did he escape or did they let him go? If he escaped, were they going to hunt him down again? Reid's breathing picked up against his wishes and he felt the panic swell alarmingly.

"Come on, Reid, pull yourself together." Reid told himself gripping the edge of his locker door. With shaking legs, Reid walked over to the sinks of the locker room. He turned on the water, cupped his hands, and welcomed the cool liquid as it slowly calmed his nerves. Reid placed his hands on the edge of the sink, with his head down as he took deep breaths. In and out, in and out.

His panic subsided and his breathing was turning to normal. "You're safe now." Reid tried to reassure himself, but it was weak at best. The youngest agent lifted his head up and stared into his own reflection. He was shocked at the image that met him.

The bruise on his face was purple and a nasty mix of blue. A cut was healing in the middle of it. Reid gingerly touched the wound, wincing stupidly as his pain receptors fired off. Reid stood up straighter, bare chested and finally got his whole body in focus. He was amazed to see his skin painted with bruises in various states of healing. Some yellowing and others still blue. Hand prints littered his torso. He turned his back to survey anymore damaged and saw more hand prints and bruises. Reid ghosted over the bruises, seeing if he could remember how he got them. He placed his own hand over the bruise copy on his stomach. A flash of pressure pulled at his stomach, he looked down and saw an unfamiliar hand pushing hard against him. Alarmed, Reid moved his hands away from pressure immediately subsided and Reid saw his own hand waving in front of his face.

Reid was confused. What had just happened? Was it another flash back? Reid looked at himself in the mirror and pondered. He was going over his wounds absentmindedly when he started noticing other wound besides the bruises. Thin, angry, red lines scattered his body. How had he not noticed them before? Cuts, in varied stages of healing, were scabbed all over his body, he lightly trace the deeper ones. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. How could he not remember? Even if it was the pain, surely he would have remembered the pain.

Reid looked down at the particularly nasty cut he was tracing. A flash of a knife appeared, digging into his skin. He blinked, trying to dispel (what he hoped) was the imaginary image. He felt no pain, just saw a knife cut into his skin. Reid's eyes grew in alarm. He tried to brush it away but his limbs wouldn't respond. He tried to scream out but the sound would not come, all he could do was watch helplessly as the painless flash back immobilized him and sent panic through his system.

"It's not real." Reid stated out loud for reassurance. "It's not real. It's not real." Reid continued his mantra, tearing his eyes away from the knife and resting on the mirror. When his eyes gazed up at the mirror, he let out a startled gasp. He saw a unfocused face looking back at him. The figures long white hair laid limply at their side. Reid would not look away, he could not look away. Suddenly, the figured laughed maniacally, a shrill unsettling noise, it caused Reid to jump, the noise was familiar.

Reid brought his hands up to his ears and blocked out the familiar sound. His headache forced its way throught the chaos as the laughter echoed the room. He wanted to make it stop. He couldn't do it, the noise hurt his head.

"NO!" Reid shouted. He took his fist and slammed into the white hair man. The man shattered and pieces of mirror, clambered to the floor.

"Spencer!" Reid heard a shout from the door. The door slammed open and Aaron walked in, confusion and fear in his face. Reid blinked in confusion, and sank to the floor in a huddle. He looked at the broken glass on the floor and then glanced at the older man. Hotch was immeditaly at his side.

The Unit Cheif crouched in front of his lover, cupping the younger man's cheek. Reid stared at the boss, tears threatening to spill.

"Spencer, what happened?" Aaron asked.

"I'm sorry, I.." Reid started, noticing the glass on the ground. His hand throbbed, his body ached, and his headache dulled to a annoying throb. His body hurt and he knew that his mind wasn't much better.

"It's okay, baby, you are safe." Hotch said, looking Reid in the eyes. He reached out and hugged the shirtless, cowering man. Reid welcomed the touch warmly. Aaron started to break off the hug, but Reid wrapped his arms around him not moving his place. He hugged him tight, causing him to wince in pain to the added pressure to his hand, Reid feared that he might have broken it.

"Reid, what's the matter?" Hotch asked pulling away. Reid was slightly saddened by the lost warmth but the painful throbbing of his hand preceded. Reid's eyes were puffy and red, tears were slowly cascading down his cheeks as he looked at his older boyfriend. Reid gingerly held out his hand. Hotch saw the blood trickling out of his knuckles down his bare arms.

"Spencer, you're bleeding!" Hotch exclaimed the obvious. He jumped up and grabbed paper towels from the nearest sink. He gently held his lover's hand in his as he examined the injury, looking for glass. He pulled out a thin piece of mirror that was embedded in between Reid's knuckles. Reid winced in the discomfort.

"I thought I saw someone in the mirror." Reid tried explaining. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean.." Hotch interrupted him with a kiss.

"It's okay. Let's get you to a hospital."

He wrapped the injured hand tightly with the paper towels. He knew it would only work temporarily but they would be at the hospital soon. Hotch helped Reid up with his good hand and helped him put his shirt on.

Hotch noticed the bruises and cuts on the younger man's torso. He saw the hand prints. It took every ounce of his FBI training to feign ignorance. He didn't want to upset Reid any further.

Hotch's new look at the extent of Reid's health only made him more eager.  
>He just had to get Reid to the hospital. He had to make sure that everything was okay.<p>

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><p>Love is a appreciated.<p>

I finally planned on what i'm going to do with this story.

If you guys have any ideas that would be fantastic.

Peace&Love


	5. Normal

**One Month Later**

The sun was shinning and bright. The roads were and sidewalks busy like always. Reid was smiling and enjoying the day as he walked into the FBI building. Whistling he ran to the elevator and ascended to the BAU floor. He exited the elevator and strolled towards the bull pen with a spring in his step.

It was his first official day back.

Many things had happened in the past month. He was on medical leave for two weeks and unofficial protective custody at the same time. He 'rested' for two weeks and then the next weeks were devoted to psych evaluations, much to the younger agent's dismay, but he nonetheless passed with flying colors, and not because he lied or cheated through them.

Reid put his messenger back down at his desk with a plop and went to the break area for his second cup of coffee that morning. Reid reached for his personal mug on the top shelf. He flexed his bad hand accidentally which caused him to wince with discomfort. He had just gotten permission to take the brace off yesterday, since it wasn't that bad of an injury.

The young genius thought back to the hospital visit a month ago to the day.

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><p><strong><em>Flashback<em>**

_Rossi and Hotch walked into the emergency room, protectively marching the younger man in between them. Their eyes scanned the room, instinctively. Reid was growing more exhausted as the hours drew longer. He was cradling his own blood soaked bandage hand to his chest. Hotch's arm was placed tightly around Reid's shoulder. They walked forward to the check in desk. The next hours were a blur of an exhaustingly amount of needles, exams, MRIs and everything else. Reid almost fell asleep multiple times only to be woken up by another blood test. Hotch never left his side, and Reid wouldn't have wanted it any other way. The genius gripped the older man's hand like a child, every time a blood was drawn. _

_His headache screamed in protest to the sounds and the beepings of the hospital. Finally, one of the nurses caught his wincing (for his acting skills were getting worse and worse as the day came to an end) and insisted he get checked for a concussion. He had a mild concussion and they gave him medication (not to strong) for his headache. By the time he was released, a mild concussion, various cuts and bruises and a sprained wrist later, Reid practically fell into the SUV and immediately fell asleep. The day had caught up to him. He remembered being jostled awake a minute or two when Hotch carried him to another SUV. _

_"Come on, let's go home." Hotch whispered to the half conscious man in the passenger seat. The Unit Chief drove off towards his apartment in a more relaxed state than he had arrived that morning. Reid nodded, a silent agreement between the two lovers that Reid was not to be alone, not after Aaron had just got him back._

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><p>Now a month later, Reid had only been to his apartment a handful of times and never more than fifteen minutes each time, and most certainly not overnight. The younger agent would like to finger Hotch for the reason, his boss had spent all waking moments in direct sight of the younger man. But Reid could not lie to himself. He often spent afternoons hypothesizing where he had been and what could have happened. He never felt fear or really any emotion except frustration when he would try to remember on those afternoons. However, Reid knew that he couldn't lie, he knew that whenever the genius entered the apartment, a true genuine, terrifying panic flowed through his veins. He could not help picture the two men in his apartment. He only thought about how they got in. Whenever he was there he would always double check all the windows and the locks, even though they were new.<p>

He refused to ever go by himself, not that anyone dreamt of making him endure that alone.

What scared him the most was the almost lack of evidence. There was nothing on his clothes (that was later learned didn't even belong to the genius), they found a smudged fingerprint on his T.V. that didn't have the same patterns as the rest of the fingerprints but that was it. Not even his body gave any clue to his disappearance. There was no evidence of who took him and there was no evidence to whether or not they would come back.

For the first week, Reid was always under the eye of one of the team members, preferably one with a gun. The young agent went from the BAU to Hotch's apartment, all the while not allowed to work. He was merely there so they could keep an eye on him in a safe place. None of his team, his family, wanted him to be alone with an Unsub out there, and they definitely didn't want their trouble magnet brother out of their sight. They spent that entire week trying to put together any evidence to find out who the unsub was.

Unfortunately, the evidence was non existent. At the start of the second week, Strauss forced the team to move on, much to Hotch's chagrin. She had forced their hands, they had a case within the day and they were off. Hotch was going to take the week off to spend with Reid, but the younger agent wouldn't have it. He refused to let Hotch leave the team with another lost member.

Hotch only agreed to go when Garcia offered that Reid stay with her and come to work with her while they were gone. Reid wasn't very pleased with the idea of a babysitter but he understood and he agreed.

They were back within two days, only to have caught the unsub on a speeding ticket.

Hotch never felt so guilty about leaving Reid as he did those two days. Meanwhile, Reid actually had a good time. Garcia teased him and made him bake. Yes bake. When Hotch first learned that he giggled. The boss giggled.

Reid filled his coffee cup and moved back to his desk, his thoughts clouding his vision, but not in a bad way.

Reid hadn't had any flashbacks since the first day of his reappearance. It was not for a lack of trying, he went through multiple cognitive interviews that tried to trigger suppressed memories. His mind refused to cooperate. He had grown frustrated on multiple occasions. He wanted to know what happened. He wanted to know who took him and he wanted to know why. All he had were fresh track marks which only added further evidence to some drug that displayed amnesiac functions to those it's administered to and didn't show up in any blood tests.

He even tried to trace the healed cuts to induce a flashback but nothing worked. He was gone for four days and the only evidence was the physical attacks on his body.

Reid set down his coffee mug at his desk and started to look at the piles of paperwork that had added up during his leave. But his thoughts wouldn't leave him alone.

The questions that floated through his mind distracted him. Did he escape or was he let go? He knew that the question roamed through the thoughts of almost every agent throughout the day. He just couldn't remember. He was even more worried about what was what did the complete lack of memory possess? And when, if ever, will he get answers? At his moment there were more questions than there was fact.

There were only things that the team knew for sure.

1. At least two people were involved

2. They took Reid from his apartment and all they left was a smudged fingerprint

3. He was covered in cuts and bruises that he couldn't recall the origin from.

4. He was drugged...heavily.

Reid shuddered at that last thought. It unsettled him to know he was at the mercy of some drug that caused him to forget everything. It was like Tobias Hankel all over again.

However, the questions outnumbered all the facts they knew. The one question that he heard nobody speak and he was grateful for was, WHho was the white haired man? Did he have to do with the kidnapping? What did he want? Why is Reid instantly scared of him? Why had Reid seen him in the mirror? Had Reid really seen him in the mirror?

Reid let out another shudder and let his mind wander to the back of his mind, deciding to focus on work for the time being. He was happy, content and he didn't want to ruin his day with his thoughts of mirrored men or frustrating cold cases. He took a drink of his coffee to calm his mind.

_SLAP!_

Before Reid had a chance to 100% devotion to his work a hand connected with his back causing him to retreat swiftly from his thoughts.

"Jesus Morgan!" Reid sputtered, nearly spitting out his scalding coffee all over his unorganized desk.

"Sorry." Morgan chuckled, sitting at the edge of Reid's desk. "I just wanted to be the first one to say welcome back. Plus I wanted to see you." Morgan winked.

"Thanks. But you know that you saw me on Friday." Reid smirked. "Same place. I only breath and live in two places, Hotch's office and the BAU." Reid hugged. Morgan frowned slightly.

"You know it's for you own protection." Morgan said, seriously.

Reid looked up at his dark skinned brother with regret. "I know." Reid said guiltily, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. " The genius sighed. "I guess I'm still a little on edge from sleeping at my own apartment last night." Reid added, suddenly uncomfortable with the confession.

"What?" Morgan yelled incredulously, expressions ran rampant across his face. "Why would you do that? I could have stayed with you. Wait, Did you and Hotch have a fight? Di he hurt you? Why did you call me?" Morgan let the questions flow from his mouth shamelessly. "I'm going to kick his ass, I don't care if he is the boss." Morgan added glaring in the direction of Hotch's office.

"No, Morgan. Calm down." Reid said, the younger agent placed a hand on Morgan's smoldering stature. Morgan looked down at Reid and his body relaxed but his face glowered at the windows of the Unit Chief's office.

"Relax, No. Hotch and I are great." Reid whispered so that no one could hear. "I just needed to prove that I can still do this job." Reid added.

Morgan's face went from anger to confusion in two seconds. His eyes trying to make sense of the statement. "Wait. What?" Morgan finally asked. "How does-"

"Morgan." Reid interrupted purposefully cutting Morgan before got worked up again. "I don't remember what happened to me. I don't know where I was or who took me. I never felt fear against the situation, but whenever I went back to the apartment I could feel panic. I couldn't control it, I would just swell up with the fear that they might come back." Reid sighed. "We deal with really bad people everyday. If I can't conquer my fears and sleep in my own apartment, then how do I know I'll be able to handle the people we go up against." Reid finished seriously.

Morgan exhaled loudly. He knew Reid was right. "I get it man, but you didn't have to do it alone."

"I did, I can't have you guys holding my hands when we go and catch serial killers." Reid included.

"I would prefer it if you didn't go up against serial killers at all." Morgan muttered audibly.

Reid chose to ignore that comment. "Don't worry, Hotch checked and doubled checked the windows and the locks." Reid said confidently. "It was scary the first few hours. But I got through it and I'm hear. So no harm no foul." Reid said patting Morgan's arm. Reid plastered a genuine grin on his face. Morgan nodded reluctantly and smiled back.

"Okay Reid, but next time." Reid nodded.

"Hey you two." Came a shout, Reid looked up to see Prentiss stepping through the bull pen doors, smiling. "Welcome Back Dr. Reid." The brunette chuckled, plopping her items on her desk.

"Thank you, Agent Prentiss." Reid smirked. Morgan chuckled and they began chatting about random things, much to the gratitude of Reid who finally felt like his life was getting back to normal.

And just like every normal day, J.J. came bounding out of her office with a stack full of folders. Reid looked over as she ascended the stairs toward Hotch's office. She smiled at the younger man and knocked on the Unit Chief's door.

Reid was almost giddy with excitement. He hadn't been able to do things mentally stimulating. He need a good puzzle, something different and new. However, he felt instantly bad for his new puzzle meant murder for someone else. Reid tried to dispel the morbid thought and was basically bouncing out of his chair with shameless enthusiasm.

"Jesus, Pretty Boy." Morgan said as he looked at the genius's restlessness.

"Oh come on, give him a break, he's been stuck here while we've been on two different cases." The brunette said winking at Reid.

"Yeah, I need something stimulating." Reid blurted, he knew instantly at the mistake he made. Morgan started laughing and even Prentiss could help but chuckle, Reid's cheeks just flashed bright red with embarassment.

"You know what I mean." Reid said self-consciously. The two older agents continued laughing. "Ugh fine I'm getting more coffee." Reid stood up and went to the break area to refill his cup. He could hear the two agents trying to stop him through their giggles but they were unsuccessful. Reid didn't mind their teasing, it made this day feel even more normal.

Ten minutes later everyone was seated in the briefing room. Hotch at the head of the table facing the screen, Reid and Rossi on either side of him, and then Prentiss on Rossi's side and Morgan on the genius's side. Even Garcia had shown up for the briefing. Upon entering, everyone had given Reid welcome backs or various greetings. Hotch gave Reid a squeeze of the hand under the table and a smile. Reid smiled back and he felt like he was home.

J.J. started the briefing and Reid finally felt that that moment was the most normal it had been in a month.


	6. Flashbacks

A/N: Reid remembers a little.

Plus I suck at the case part, they aren't really important.

* * *

><p>Reid looked upon the the familiar plane. He practically lived in this plane. It was their transport to everywhere. He even remembered at some points how much he despised this plane. The young agent seemed to despised the boredom and routine of the plane.<p>

That was completely opposite of what he was feeling right now. He never thought he would welcome this plane with such longing. It had been a month since he had been on this plane. As the team boarded the plane, Reid shook his head with the silliness of the thought. How did he miss a plane? An inanimate object?

Once everyone was seated on the plane, they continued their briefing.

The case seemed routine, at least to the genius.

"Okay, so, five girls went missing, and they've four already dead." Morgan summarized.

"The Unsub keeps the girls for a week each and then disposes of them, to what appears to be randomly, around the city." Prentiss added.

"How hasn't he been found? It's not like New York City is famous for thick walls." J.J. asked.

"We are actually looking for a house on the outskirts of the city. A run down neighborhood, probably in the Bronx or Queens." Reid added. "Considering that the victimology is students and prostitutes, that implies the Unsub goes for the easiest target." Reid added looking at a picture of the latest found victim, a Jackie Monroe.

"Morgan, Prentiss, and Rossi, I want you to go to the latest abduction site, talk the officers on scene. Jackie only went missing this morning. Their should be fresh evidence." Hotch stated. The said agents nodded. "J.J., Reid, and I are going to the station, J.J. is going to get a feel for the media surrounding the case. Reid, I help you start a geographic profile." J.J. and Reid agreed and continue looking at the files.

"We are going to be landing in an hour or so, I suggest everyone get some rest, we need to find Jackie and it will help if we are rested." Hotch added and stood up. The team dispersed around the cabin of the plane, each member found their respective spot. Reid slowly stood and moved over to the couch that he normally occupied. He ran a smooth hand over the cushions. He found it silly to miss a couch, but he dismissed the idea quickly because he couldn't lie to himself.

He glanced up quickly to see if anyone noticed his nostalgia. He met eyes with no one, all of them busy getting comfortable and relaxing. He didn't want them to make fun of him for having a weird longing for a couch. He gazed over the soft cushions once more and then sat down. Out of instinct he looked up again, and this time he found one pair of eyes looking at him. The boss's eyes crinkled with warmth. Reid smiled and Hotch returned a smile, a quick reassurance that is rarely seen on his professional face. The smiled filled Reid with love and comfort. Reid smiled brighter and broke the eye contact. He pulled out a book and read until they landed in New York.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for the BAU team to track down the serial killer, they profiled a Ray Mandela. He worked for the security of one of the missing girl's school. He hated his job and the young women of the colleges, not to mention the 'trash that littered the streets'.<p>

This Unsub was simple, yet interesting in his victimology, very rarely does the killer expand to two very different victims.

Reid, on any other occasion, would have scoffed at the routine of the case. However, his work was like an addiction and when he went without a fix for over a month, the return fix was all he needed to stimulate his brain.

It didn't take the young genius long to narrow down where the unsub was keeping the girls. He was right, they were in the outskirts of Queens. A run down neighborhood with crackheads and quiet neighbors. By the second day, they had found Ray's house and were busting down his door.

Outside, before the team entered, they went over the plan. Prentiss, Hotch and J.J. were going through the front door with SWAT while Morgan, Rossi and Reid went through the back door. They all put on their Kevlar and split up.

"Alright, he doesn't know where coming so the element of surprise is on our side." Hotch stated as they split up, putting the radio piece in his ear.

The back of the house was untamed, grass ran wild and miscellaneous lawn equipment was littered about. Morgan unholstered his gun, while the rest of the team did the same. He quietly snuck up to the back window. He peered inside, the unsub, Ray Mandela, was standing over the table. The dark skinned agent saw Jackie tied to a chair, unconscious as the suspect loomed over her with a knife.

"Now, Rossi." Morgan urged as he moved to once side of the door. Rossi flanked the other side. Morgan backed up and kicked the door down.

"FBI! FREEZE!" Rossi yelled as the three agents filed in the room. The Unsub was stunned, he dropped his knife with a clatter.

"Down on the ground." Hotch yelled coming from the front of the house. SWAT and the rest of the BAU team clustered the kitchen. Hotch cuffed Ray and handed him over to SWAT.

Meanwhile, Reid holstered his gun and was upon Jackie in a flash. He immediately reached for her pulse. The young genius noticed the bruises painted on the young student's face. Her cheeks were bruised heavily and their was a gash just above her hair, blood trickled down her face, it created a stain on her blue blouse that she was last seen in.

"She has a pulse, it's sporadic. Get the EMTs." Reid called. J.J. joined Reid and began untying the unconscious women. Most of the SWAT team dispersed but the BAU team stayed. Moments later the EMTs bustled in. Reid and J.J. backed up and allowed them room.

While they rolled Jackie out of the kitchen from hell, the SWAT leader was coming back through the kitchen. "Is the house all clear?" Hotch asked the man.

"Yes sir." The SWAT leader answered.

"Alright, Prentiss and Rossi go with Jackie to the ambulance, see if she wakes up. The rest of us let's look for the trophies."

"Trophies? Sir." The confused SWAT member asked.

"With a suspect like this, he is going to have trophies from all of his kills. All of the other victims were missing something. Clothing, hair, body parts." Morgan stated.

The team scattered around the house. "They would be somewhere he could see them. He would be proud of them." Reid said to himself as he scanned the kitchen. Morgan was in the front living room while J.J. and Hotch were upstairs. He opened the fridge and found little food, the counter was clean and bare. It didn't even look like someone lived here. It looked like a show, a pretense. He didn't use the kitchen often. "Then were did he spend most of his time?" Reid asked himself. Reid continued to scan the room, he came upon a door that was slightly ajar. How come he didn't notice it before. He walked to the door and opened it. The kitchen light flooded the stairs that lead to the dark chasm below.

An instinct pulled at the young genius. Something was telling him not to go down there. He somehow knew that bad things happened down there. No good would come of furthering an expedition into the darkness. Reid didn't know where this logic was coming from and he knew that the house was cleared. His curiosity got the better of him and he pulled out his flashlight and started down the ominous stairs. Reid knew he should trust his instincts, but the darkened stairs leading into what could be hell itself, never looked so appealing.

Creak. Creak. Creak.

The stairs whined under his fragile weight. He kept his flashlight on the next stair so he didn't fall. The silence that suddenly filled the room announced the young agent's arrival to the basement. He used his flashlight to find a light switch nearby. He already knew by the sheer creepiness of the stairs that there were trophies down here.

Reid found a single light switch. He walked over to it carefully and flicked it on. The basement suddenly illuminated. A single bulb hanging from the lowered his flashlight and scanned the room.

The genius didn't experience shock easily anymore. However, what stared back at him in the creepy basement was undeniable. He was clearly shocked.

Three out of the four walls were bare. The fourth wall opposite a tiny cot, was covered, floor to ceiling, a wall of blades and sharp instruments of torture. Reid let out an inaudible gasp. Big knives, little knives, machetes, and objects Reid only classified as swords. All of them had blood on them, the collection was enormous. Reid moved closer to the wall. Each blade had some sort of souvenir behind them. Pictures of dismembered body parts, Locks of hair, a piece of clothing, a very sharp, very long sword to the furthest left of the wall had a baggie hanging from it, dried blood smeared the inside, along with a finger.

"I think I found his trophies." Reid mumbled quietly, horrified. That would explain why the upstairs almost lack a human presence. He spent all of his time in the basement, admiring his trophies. He looked at each 'prize' slowly, he categorized the tragic and morbid collection.

When he got to the right of the wall, Reid froze. A long machete hung proudly from a nail, it's blade was dirtied with copious amounts of dried blood. However, that's not what made the young man stop. It was the picture, the picture that belonged to the machete. It was a amputated hand, cut haphazardly at the forearm. On the hand was a familiar sight, he knew that tattoo. Something screamed in his conscious, he had seen this mark before. Reid's breathing picked up involuntarily. His eyes became unfocused as his chest constricted against the unwelcomed onslaught of flashbacks.

* * *

><p><em>He arched his back to a painful extent. <em>

_The grip on his wrist tightened as he felt the cool press of a needle against the crook of his arm. _

_He screamed and was held firmly down, tears escaped his eyes as he finally went limp. The hands were removed and Reid didn't feel his limbs anymore. _

_He didn't feel anything, with one last strength, he moved his head to the side and looked at his attackers. He realized he could see something. Hands or at least one pair of hnds crossed in front of him. He could see what on the man's hands. He could make out lines, fat lines coming to a center, an eye? Yes, an eye was the center. _

_The eye stared back at him, it was big and black. It stared right into Reid's soul. Lines swam around the eye, the lines, they looked like tentacles, yes they were tentacles like on an octopus. The tentacles shot ouf from the dilated eye, threatening to grab Reid and strangle him. _

_The eye stared menacingly at Reid as he slipped into unconsciousness._

* * *

><p><em>The eye, it there was again, it was responsible, it jostled him awake. It looked at the genius, it judged him and dared him to look away. <em>

_Reid ripped his eyes away from the invading vision. Pain erupts in his abdomen. His own vision was a haze of colors and shapes, but he can see the eye. The eye/octopus. It followed him were ever he went. Reid tried to talk to it but he was silenced by a needle. He mumbled to the eye to help him as he became unconscious._

* * *

><p><em>The eye moved with extreme diligence. It hit him again and again. It held him still, a pressure on his chest, the young agent writhes in discomfort.<em>

_"Please." Reid begged the eye/octopus who did not notice or twitch at the slight word of the genius._

* * *

><p><em>The eye floated above Reid, his limbs were outstretched and his mind full of cotton. He felt a slight pain in his skin. He moved his head down and could see the knife as it sliced his skin. He didn't yell in pain, he whimpered in protest.<em>

_The eye/octopus pushes down on his chest, it hurt him, Reid tore his vision away from the threatening eye. He followed the tentacles up the owner's arm_

_Slowly, a face came into focus. White, thin hair, cascading down the man's scalp._

_"Hello, Dr. Reid." The man laughed maniacally._

_And with that, Reid let out a scream that pierced through flashback and reality._

* * *

><p><em>Next Chapter. Hotch soothes Reid, They try to track down the White Haired Man<br>_


End file.
